How To Do Fashion Comp Shopping in South Africa

Remember the days when a trip to the mall was an all-day event, walking from store to store, reviewing different products, checking the pricing and eventually settling on a few items and then needing a snack because you already clocked your 10,000 steps for the day and need to carbo-load.

While some people still enjoy the old-school retail therapy and use it as an excuse to get out of their bathrobe and slippers and out of the house, others have taken their retail experience online.

South Africa has 100s of small to medium-sized e-commerce stores and an e-commerce penetration rate of 37%; while local e-tailers Takealot dominate the market, traditional retailers are also moving online to try and capture some of that market share.

eCommerce retailers clearly feel the trend is their friend and that there is still room to grow, with many still apprehensive about moving their shopping online, and to an extent, they are correct in their assumption.

There have been several factors encouraging eCommerce payments recently, namely:

• Increased internet and smartphone penetration: More and more South Africans are getting online, with a significant portion using smartphones for web browsing and transactions. This widespread internet access makes online shopping convenient and accessible.
• Shifting consumer behaviour: South African consumers are embracing the convenience and variety offered by online retailers. The ability to shop from home, compare prices easily, and benefit from special online promotions are all driving forces.
• Impact of COVID-19: The pandemic restrictions on traditional retail stores significantly boosted eCommerce growth. With physical shopping limited, consumers turned to online options for their needs.
• Improvement in online payments: eCommerce used to be an option only for a select few who qualified for credit cards, but today the barrier is much lower; many South African retailers offer debit card payments, buy now pay later services, cash on delivery, even gift cards and QR code payments.

Fashion trends and the information superhighway

If there is one verticle that has really embraced online shopping, then it's fashion retailers. Fashion has become a popular online purchase for a few key reasons:

• Convenience: Online shopping allows you to browse vast selections from multiple retailers at any time, from the comfort of your couch. No more fighting crowds or limited store hours.
• Wider variety: Online stores aren't restricted by physical space, so they can offer a much larger selection of styles, sizes, and brands compared to traditional stores.
• Competitive pricing: With a few clicks, you can easily compare prices across different stores to find the best deals.
• Discovery and inspiration: Social media and influencer marketing heavily influence fashion trends online. You can discover new styles, get outfit inspiration, and often find links to purchase directly from social media platforms.
• Privacy: For those who don't want to strip down in public to try on new clothes, online shopping allows you to try on your fit at home and decide whether to keep it or return it.

Social media and fast fashion

Given the support of social media apps and influencer culture, we've seen a new trend emerge called fast fashion. Fast fashion is a specific business model within the online fashion world. It focuses on quickly producing trendy clothing items at low costs to capitalise on current trends.

• Trend-driven: Fast fashion companies churn out new clothing lines rapidly, replicating the latest runway looks or celebrity styles.
• Low prices: They achieve affordability by using cheaper materials and labour practices, often in large overseas factories.
• High turnover: The goal is to get consumers to buy frequently as trends change quickly, leading to potential overconsumption and textile waste.

While fast fashion offers trendy styles at a steal, it's important to be aware of the potential downsides regarding quality, labour practices, and environmental impact.

There's got to be an easier way

If you're part of the fast fashion mobs, always looking for the latest trends, you'll know how time-consuming it is to keep up with what's new and then find affordable options locally.

Nothing triggers people more than seeing an item online and not having a local retailer able to supply it. If you did import it yourself, you'd know how hard the South African government will come down on you with import duties and other taxes.

Spare me the drama, am I right?

Well, you could spend time combing through every South African retailer you can find online through a Google search or your preferred social media app, or you could look for marketplaces that do all the curating for you.

Create your look in a few clicks on GotToShop

Time is a resource we all lack nowadays. And if you want to get a nice look, you don't have to go shopping at retail stores anymore. There are a variety of marketplace websites that provide the possibility of buying everything in the same place. With GotToShop you can find items from many brands all from one interface and online store! 

Hundreds of stores in your device

You definitely spent the whole day at the mall wandering through the shops before an important event to find the right outfit. Obviously, you cannot be lucky enough to find everything in the same place. Now it's possible! Your phone has plenty of online stores, which aren't so time-consuming to visit. 

Multi-brand online stores have an even more advanced approach to purchasing clothes. These websites often have special offers, therefore you can buy the same item cheaper than at the official store. 

The main advantage is that, aside from time, offline shopping requires a lot of energy. You probably were rather upset at least once, when these weren't your size available after a long day of search. Not only are all the sizes available online, but you are able to collect your party look during your break, on your way, or on the bed.

Draw inspiration from a store's ideas

When you shop for clothes online, you look at models' photos, where items are combined into a whole look. In this way, you can peek at how they style particular items and apply this to your wardrobe. And owing to the online shopping pros you can easily buy the whole look in your smartphone.

Some online shops even have an offer, when you can buy the whole outfit, that the model is wearing in the photo. This can even include accessories, which would make your look even more fabulous.

Stylists are usually the ones who collect these looks, so consider this a professional offer. This function allows you to create a full new look with just one click.

Effortless budgeting for your fashion needs

Rambling the mall can lead to rash impulsive purchases because you always can see something you don't need but suddenly liked. While online shopping is also a way to control yourself as you decide and choose categories to visit.

Collecting outfits by list is much more successful when done online, owing to the target websites for particular types of items, genders, occasions, and prices. 

If you're on a tight budget, website features can help you save money. You can choose cheaper items by sorting them by price or even choose the category of sales, which is usually also organized by type.

Just a few clicks – and everything is in your cart. It counts the total amount automatically, so you can easily double-think the purchasing, considering prices.

Any drawbacks?

Convenience and variety come at the cost of other things; there is always a trade-off to be made, but is it all bad, and what are they all about?

Let's break down these myths.

Paid delivery.

People don't want to pay extra for what they believe is nothing. But try to think of how much you would spend on gas or public transport if you went to a mall.

There, you can easily be tempted by impulse purchases or a food court.

Not to mention the energy and time you have to spend on this, try to compare what's better:

• Paying a little extra
• Shopping in your bed
• Spending plenty of time in aimless search at the retail stores 

No way to try things on.

Often people with unusual body types complain that they have to try anything they buy. But with good self-measurement and skills to choose the right form of clothing, online shopping is going to become a discovery for these people, too.

And let's be honest: your home with great lighting is way better for trying items on than a tiny fitting room.

There is no way to touch and see things in the flesh.

You do not need to touch clothes if you know their fabrics, especially those that suit you the most and are more comfortable and long-lasting.

Shop on your own time and dime

Online shopping can be convenient and a great way to discover deals and hidden gems, but it can send you down a rabbit hole of grudge purchases and impulse buys, so be careful when browsing. Having your own set of habits is essential for a rewarding online shopping experience, every time.

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Tags: Shopping, Online Shopping, Fashion, Guest Post